Island arrest costs retiree peace of mind

Published: Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 9:14 p.m.

An 80-year-old retired Sarasota surgeon arrested in the Turks and Caicos in late April is considering skipping a hearing next month on the islands and forfeiting $4,000 in bail he posted.

Facts

WORRY:

Should he skip Turks and Caicos hearing, and if he does so ... what then?

Horace Norrell said in an interview Tuesday that he will have spent at least $20,000 by the date of his June 7 hearing on travel and legal fees, after being charged with possession of a single 9 mm bullet in his luggage.

Norrell has consulted with an extradition expert in Miami on whether to attend or avoid the hearing, where a judge is expected to decide to take the matter to trial or toss the charge.

But Norrell was blunt about his fear that not attending could have unintended consequences.

"We want his opinion on whether, if we travel outside the U.S. to Great Britain or any British protectorates, whether we would be extradited to the Turks and Caicos," he said.

Norrell was arrested on April 26 and spent three nights in jail. This, after airport security officials allegedly found the bullet in his luggage as he was attempting a return to Southwest Florida from Providenciales International Airport.

A day earlier, 60-year-old Dallas Realtor Cathy Davis was detained on similar charges.

If found guilty, each could be sentenced to two to five years in an island prison.

Costs beyond cash

Though it may be far from over, the ordeal has already cost Norrell more than the thousands of dollars spent on lawyers and to obtain his freedom; it has cost him peace of mind.

He says as a result of the arrest, he fears traveling outside the U.S.

In September, Norrell and his wife are to take a cruise from Venice, Italy, to Istanbul, followed by a drive across Turkey. But with the Turks and Caicos experience, he is having second thoughts.

"We have not talked about it yet, but I am now reluctant about going," Norrell said.

More in the immediate moment, the incident has cost him well-being and sleep.

"I am not OK," said Norrell, who traveled to Turks and Caicos with his wife to celebrate his 80th birthday. "This is consuming 100 percent of my time. Normally, I have no difficulty sleeping. But now I am waking up thinking of things I must do.

"The stress has been taking a toll on me."

Stress is affecting Davis, too, to an even greater extent, said Norrell, who has been staying in touch with Davis' husband.

"She cannot even go out of her house," Norrell said.

Unwanted publicity

The arrests occurred amid big changes both in the British protectorate's gun and ammo laws and in its handling of air traffic.

Last year, islands' police began enforcing tough new gun measures aimed at banning some legal owners from carrying weapons, according to the Turks & Caicos Sun, one of three newspapers on the island chain.

Providenciales International also is undergoing major changes, the newspaper noted. In March 2012, the Turks and Caicos Islands Airport Authority made a deal with a U.S. company, Servisair, to provide ground handling services. For the 20 years prior, a local firm had had the contract.

The government is in the midst of spending $10 million to double the size of the airport to better accommodate the 500,000 passengers who pass through each year. Work is to be completed next year.

Airport authority chief executive John Smith declined to comment on the recent arrests.

"Aviation security is something I do not discuss," he said this week.

But tourism-related businesses are reeling from the arrests and unwanted publicity, which they fear could hamper business in the islands. Those islands rely on visitor traffic for 80 percent of gross domestic product.

Thus far, the tourist trade has been unable to sway prosecutors to drop or lessen charges against David and Norrell, or spur government officials to action.

JoAnn Meloche, the islands' director of public prosecutions, said in a press statement Tuesday that "the investigation into these incidents is ongoing."

Damian Roderic Todd, the Turks and Caicos Islands governor, said that while he has received much correspondence from "well-meaning supplicants," he has a responsibility to stay clear of the matter.

"I appreciate that these are most unfortunate incidents for everyone concerned, but the legal system in TCI is independent," Todd stated.

"I would therefore ask everyone to show restraint and allow the investigation and legal process to take its course and allow the authorities to complete their investigations."

<p>An 80-year-old retired Sarasota surgeon arrested in the Turks and Caicos in late April is considering skipping a hearing next month on the islands and forfeiting $4,000 in bail he posted.</p><p>Horace Norrell said in an interview Tuesday that he will have spent at least $20,000 by the date of his June 7 hearing on travel and legal fees, after being charged with possession of a single 9 mm bullet in his luggage.</p><p>Norrell has consulted with an extradition expert in Miami on whether to attend or avoid the hearing, where a judge is expected to decide to take the matter to trial or toss the charge.</p><p>But Norrell was blunt about his fear that not attending could have unintended consequences.</p><p>"We want his opinion on whether, if we travel outside the U.S. to Great Britain or any British protectorates, whether we would be extradited to the Turks and Caicos," he said.</p><p>Norrell was arrested on April 26 and spent three nights in jail. This, after airport security officials allegedly found the bullet in his luggage as he was attempting a return to Southwest Florida from Providenciales International Airport.</p><p>A day earlier, 60-year-old Dallas Realtor Cathy Davis was detained on similar charges.</p><p>If found guilty, each could be sentenced to two to five years in an island prison.</p><p>Costs beyond cash</p><p>Though it may be far from over, the ordeal has already cost Norrell more than the thousands of dollars spent on lawyers and to obtain his freedom; it has cost him peace of mind.</p><p>He says as a result of the arrest, he fears traveling outside the U.S.</p><p>In September, Norrell and his wife are to take a cruise from Venice, Italy, to Istanbul, followed by a drive across Turkey. But with the Turks and Caicos experience, he is having second thoughts.</p><p>"We have not talked about it yet, but I am now reluctant about going," Norrell said.</p><p>More in the immediate moment, the incident has cost him well-being and sleep.</p><p>"I am not OK," said Norrell, who traveled to Turks and Caicos with his wife to celebrate his 80th birthday. "This is consuming 100 percent of my time. Normally, I have no difficulty sleeping. But now I am waking up thinking of things I must do.</p><p>"The stress has been taking a toll on me."</p><p>Stress is affecting Davis, too, to an even greater extent, said Norrell, who has been staying in touch with Davis' husband.</p><p>"She cannot even go out of her house," Norrell said.</p><p>Unwanted publicity</p><p>The arrests occurred amid big changes both in the British protectorate's gun and ammo laws and in its handling of air traffic.</p><p>Last year, islands' police began enforcing tough new gun measures aimed at banning some legal owners from carrying weapons, according to the Turks & Caicos Sun, one of three newspapers on the island chain.</p><p>Providenciales International also is undergoing major changes, the newspaper noted. In March 2012, the Turks and Caicos Islands Airport Authority made a deal with a U.S. company, Servisair, to provide ground handling services. For the 20 years prior, a local firm had had the contract.</p><p>The government is in the midst of spending $10 million to double the size of the airport to better accommodate the 500,000 passengers who pass through each year. Work is to be completed next year.</p><p>Airport authority chief executive John Smith declined to comment on the recent arrests.</p><p>"Aviation security is something I do not discuss," he said this week.</p><p>But tourism-related businesses are reeling from the arrests and unwanted publicity, which they fear could hamper business in the islands. Those islands rely on visitor traffic for 80 percent of gross domestic product.</p><p>Thus far, the tourist trade has been unable to sway prosecutors to drop or lessen charges against David and Norrell, or spur government officials to action.</p><p>JoAnn Meloche, the islands' director of public prosecutions, said in a press statement Tuesday that "the investigation into these incidents is ongoing."</p><p>Damian Roderic Todd, the Turks and Caicos Islands governor, said that while he has received much correspondence from "well-meaning supplicants," he has a responsibility to stay clear of the matter.</p><p>"I appreciate that these are most unfortunate incidents for everyone concerned, but the legal system in TCI is independent," Todd stated.</p><p>"I would therefore ask everyone to show restraint and allow the investigation and legal process to take its course and allow the authorities to complete their investigations."</p>